Irish politicians call for free trade as US tariffs threaten agricultural exports

U.S. tariffs have posed a threat to Ireland's agricultural industry, one of its most competitive pillar sectors, prompting uncertainty in investment markets.

In Ireland, agriculture is closely linked to the stability of the national economy. With the looming threat of U.S. tariffs, local merchants who deal in agricultural products expressed concern that the tariffs could compound already-existing problems.

"Their prices have gone up recently but that was before the tariffs came in. Things like chocolate and olive oil and coffee," an Irish vegetable merchant.

Data released by the Irish Food Board shows that in 2024, the country's exports of dairy products, meat and livestock, alcohol, and other beverages totaled 12.7 billion euros. However, with the growing threat of U.S. tariffs, uncertainty surrounding the investment climate in these sectors in Ireland is beginning to rise.

"Anyone investing at the moment is saying stop, because they'll want to see what the future is going to bring and what will be the outcome of these talks, but I still think there's goodwill there for the investments. It's only that the tariffs have put uncertainty on it because there is a worry and there are concerns out there that our economy and other economies could suffer and the cost of living will rise and there'll be years left to get it back again. And we can't afford to do that," said Noel McCarthy, a legislator in the country's lower house of parliament.

In the face of U.S. tariff threats, Irish politicians are calling for strengthened cooperation with other major global economies to reduce reliance on the U.S. market and preserve a free trade system.

"We certainly hope that the U.S. administration understands now how bad an idea tariffs are. I think fortunately every other country globally understand that. Certainly there's value in the relationship that we in Ireland place with, as I say, our partners in the European Union, our partners in China who all understand the importance of free open trade, and I hope that the U.S. begins to understand that and the importance of it again soon," said Jack White, a member of the Cork County Council.

Infrared cameras have recently captured images of 71 wild animal species in the Lushui section of the Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

The nature reserve staff got the finding when they were sorting through the footage captured by infrared cameras installed in the Lushui section.

Such images involve Nujiang golden monkeys, Assamese macaques, Ailurus fulgens, lady Amherst's pheasants and silver pheasants, according to the Lushui management and conservation branch of the nature reserve.

The collected surveillance data in the Lushui section also recorded the activity trajectories of 33 beast species and 38 bird species, proving the rich biodiversity and the effectiveness of the protection of Gaoligong Mountains, which are known as the "World Species Gene Bank" and the "World Museum of Nature".